1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to steam cabinets, and in particular to a steam cabinet for removing wrinkles from garments and including an automatic control system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Steam cabinets and other steam producing devices have previously been developed for meeting the requirements of various applications. For example, steam is frequently used to relax the fibers of various fabrics for removing wrinkles. Equipment for ironing and pressing clothing therefore often includes means for subjecting the garments to steam.
Aesthetic considerations are generally very important in merchandising garments. The appearance of the garments being offered for sale tends to be relatively important at all levels of the respective trade channels from manufacturers and wholesalers to retailers and consumers. Excessive wrinkles and creases can significantly detract from the appearance of a garment. Hence, retailers will often invest significant amounts of time in pressing and ironing clothing prior to putting it on display.
Fabrics such as polyesters tend to resist wrinkling, but cotton fabrics are generally very susceptible to wrinkling. Nevertheless, cotton is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, of all the fabrics used for wearing apparel.
A common and widespread problem for clothing retailers relates to removing wrinkles from garments for display purposes. Many clothing retailers display large portions of their inventories for inspection and fitting by potential customers. However, the garments are often shipped to the retailers under conditions which can exacerbate problems with wrinkling and creasing. Cotton garments in particular, but also many other types of garments, are susceptible to wrinkling and creasing during shipment, particularly if they are tightly packed in shipping containers and the like. Wrinkles and creases which are present upon receipt often remain even after the garments are suspended on display racks. However, displaying garments in wrinkled condition tends to detract from their appearance and can depress sales.
Previous solutions to this problem included ironing and pressing such garments by hand and applying steam thereto with hand steamers and the like. Another previous solution to the problem of wrinkled garments was to place them in a commercial steam cabinet. Such cabinets often required external steam sources, and tended to be relatively expensive.
Treating garments individually tends to be prohibitively time consuming in retail establishments that deal in large volumes, particularly since the employees of such establishments are generally not available for pressing and steaming individual garments. Moreover, the results achieved by such methods tended to be relatively inconsistent and varied among different individuals who were responsible for pressing, ironing and steaming garments by hand.
In addition to the expense of previous commercial steam cabinets, other disadvantages thereof included expense, maintenance and operating complexity. Moreover, safety is an important consideration with steam cabinets since they involve combining heat and water sources in the production of steam and the treatment of garments. Potential hazards from fire, electrical shock and water damage must be addressed in order to provide a safe and effective system.